As the last handful of soil fell, Astrachior's funeral came to a solemn close. The setting sun filtered through the trees, casting jagged golden shards across the fresh earth, draping the final resting place of Aurelion's most famous stargazer in a faint, ethereal glow. As night climbed the sky, the mourners gradually drifted away, leaving behind a heavy, dignified silence.
Eventually, only Zayne and Nia remained, standing before the grave like two statues carved from stone.
Nia turned her head stiffly. Seeing Zayne's empty sockets and his skeletal, withered frame, her expression shifted into something deeply complex. This was the backlash of unleashing Forbidden Spells at full power. It meant Zayne was destined to live the rest of his life in darkness.
Today's battle had forced her to see him differently. He wasn't the useless fraud she had imagined him to be.
"Zayne... about today. Thank you."
She pulled a card from her pocket, stepped forward, and pressed it into his hand.
